Editor's Note

The Charge

Sounds like…maybe this isn't the classic that everyone says it is.

Opening Statement

I'm really not trying to be difficult, but when a movie is described as
"The best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made," I expect to be
blown away. Charade was hardly the breezy experience I anticipated, even
with the presence of Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. I'm sure I'm treading on
sacred ground here, criticizing a film that seems to be universally accepted as
a classic. However, I found it to be a convoluted affair with flat characters
and a storyline that tries too hard to be clever. Directed by Stanley Donen (Singin' in the Rain), the film tries its
best to emulate the Hitchcockian style, but is nothing more than an inferior
imitation.

Facts of the Case

Audrey Hepburn (My Fair Lady) is
Regina Lampert, a woman on the verge of divorcing her ne're-do-well husband,
when she meets handsome stranger Peter Joshua (Cary Grant, Arsenic and Old
Lace) while on vacation. When Regina returns to Paris, she finds the home
she shared with her husband emptied of all their worldly possessions and a
police officer with news that her husband has been murdered. Realizing she
didn't know her husband at all, Regina must now find out why three men are
threatening to kill her, while relying on the help of the aforementioned
stranger who just happens to be visiting Paris.

The Evidence

It wasn't that Charade was awful, it just didn't rise to the level of
classic cinema. Classics transcend the time period in which they are made, but
this feels every bit like 1963, especially the colorful and cheesy opening
sequence which could induce an epileptic to have a grand mal seizure. There's a
witty repartee between Grant and Hepburn, but their 25 year age difference makes
any hint of a romantic coupling between the two a bit creepy. Now, I love me
some Cary Grant. His characters are the epitome of debonair, but this role
should've gone to a younger man. Throughout the film, Grant looks tired and worn
out, as if all his scenes were shot in between naps. Hepburn is better, but even
she looks lost, playing a damsel in distress who doesn't seem distressed at all.
Hunted by three strange men, Hepburn acts as if her only worry is whether or not
she should get involved with the old dude helping her out in her time of
need.

The screenplay, written by Peter Stone (1776), is billed as a comedy suspense romance
thriller. While some films do all of these things very well, Charade does
not. The story is built solely on numerous plot twists, turns, and intentional
character misdirection that became tedious after awhile. It's as if Stone uses
this gimmick in place of character development. Since our interest in films is
often dependent on emotional connections to the characters, this one left me
empty.

The rest of Charade's cast includes a number of high profile stars
who should've made this movie a slam dunk; only Walter Matthau's (Grumpy Old Men) portrayal of
odd duck CIA agent Hamilton Bartholomew, is worthy of any mention. His is the
most interesting performance in the film. James Coburn (The Magnificent Seven), George
Kennedy (Cool Hand Luke), and Ned
Glass (West Side Story) play the
three sinister criminals who may be responsible for the death of Regina's
husband, but their performances are taken right out of the "How to look and act
like a bad guy" handbook; not one of them is believable. Coburn plays Texan Tex
Panthollow (really?), and Kennedy's Herman Scobie is like every brutish role
he's ever played. Glass' bespectacled Leopold W. Gideon is the most
underutilized these characters and could've easily been left on the cutting room
floor.

It's obvious Peter Stone and Stanley Donen have some mad skills, but even
Joltin' Joe Dimagio struck out a few times in his illustrious career. Hitchcock
was a one of a kind filmmaker, and merely having been influenced by him does not
mean you will create a film as great as his.

Presented in standard definition 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the colors
are bright and crisp, accentuating the classic wardrobes of Hepburn and Grant.
The Dolby 2.0 Mono mix dutifully explores the music of legendary composer Henry
Mancini, a score more suspenseful than the film itself. Bonus features for this
Universal 100th Anniversary catalog release include two featurettes on the
careers of studio execs Carl Laemmle and Lew Wasserman; fascinating accounts not
only of Universal's history, but Hollywood as well. Both are deserving of full
length documentary treatments. We also get Charade's original theatrical
trailer, so dark and grainy some scenes are difficult to make out.

Closing Statement

Everyone has their sacred cows. Mine is It's a Wonderful Life. Speak
ill of it in front of me and I cannot be held responsible for my actions. That
said, I'm willing to take the slings and arrows this less than favorable review
of Charade may bring my way. Believe me, I wanted to like this film, but
it's hard to get lost in a convoluted story when the characters give you nothing
to invest in. It's too bad, because the talent here deserved so much more.

The Verdict

What is a six letter word for "A film that's less than stellar?"
Guilty.